SingStar '80s review

Karaoke to songs from a simpler time... before Madonna became a mom

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By published

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Focused song selection

  • +

    Original artists

  • +

    Great party game

Cons

  • -

    '80s means old

  • -

    Only 30 tunes

  • -

    Half-baked video abilities

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Sept 18, 2007

Despite what Britney Spears' disastrous MTV Awards performance would have you believe, karaoke is both fun and easy, making it a near-perfect form of entertainment. Sony's SingStar games and their Konami-published cousins, the Karaoke Revolution series, stand as super-fun proof of this. Having said that, the more different PS2 Singstars Sony belts out, the more we can't wait for the PlayStation 3 version. These PS2 versions are always great, but technologically, we're dying for the franchise to take the next logical step.

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The basics are, as always, nearly perfect, like pink jelly shoes with a matching headband. One or two players grab a microphone, a song starts playing, usually with the accompanying official music video, and you sing along in the proper pitch and rhythm to either acclaim or shame, depending upon your skill level. It's a gameplay paradigm Sony and Konami have been exploring and refining for years, and they've pretty much nailed it.

Granted, it doesn't always realize you've completely blanked on the words and started singing your shopping list instead, but if the pitch and cadence are right, you'll make it through. You'll be a doofus, because the words are right there onscreen, but the game will forgive you.

Eric Bratcher
Eric Bratcher
I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.